Worried that the person covering my maternity leave will be better than me!
For women it can be hard to hand over their job before going on maternity leave and then to return when someone has been doing the role for 6-12 months. Maternity coaching can help with the transitions.
Recent CIPD article* shows that fewer than one in five women feel confident returning to work after maternity leave. Successful management of the work-to-maternity-to-work transitions are key pinch-points in a woman’s career. What should be a joyful time can often be marred by feelings of guilt, overwhelm and unhelpful self-limiting beliefs.
Becoming a parent is a life-changing event, one that for many can come along after many years of focusing on career progression. Coming to terms with shifting focus from career to parenthood – trying to make sense of being a new parent and having a fulfilling career brings with it a new and different rollercoaster of emotions. Below we look at a few challenges in more detail.
Letting go
There might be a concern about handing over to someone else, letting go of a project that has been your responsibility and (pardon the pun) your ‘baby’. This can often be linked to feeling concerned that a maternity leave cover might be better than you.
This was a central theme of the Channel 4 drama ‘The Replacement’. Whilst it dramatised the struggle in coming to terms with a pregnancy and letting go of a major project it also accurately portrayed the emotional attachment that can often be given to our work. Allowing negative thoughts such as these to escalate and/or fester is unhelpful to all parties.
Requesting flexible hours
For some, returning to work after maternity leave isn’t a choice, it’s a financial necessity. It is not uncommon for women to be the primary earner or indeed the only earner within their household. Furthermore, concerns about financial security in the short to medium term can be exacerbated where there is a desire to reduce working hours after maternity leave to spend quality time with children.
Making such a request can feel daunting because the end goal is to strike a balance between showing commitment to the organisation and sharing precious moments with ones children.*
Returning to work after maternity leave
The end of your maternity leave can also be a time of uncertainty, navigating changes within a role, organisation, technology and people. Becoming organised and prepared to not just deal with but to thrive in a ‘new normal’ is a common concern among parents returning to work. Dealing with changes from office re-shuffles (where will I be sitting?) to restructures, and re-organisations (where do I sit in this organisation?) might mean a new set of stakeholders and colleagues.
Talking about all the above and the associated emotions is enormously helpful.
Maternity coaching
Offering coaching for maternity in addition to KIT days can be invaluable and prepare parents well for pre-maternity leave, pre-return and post-return and allows new parents to:
- use the space to speak openly about their concerns and emotions
- think about the type of work/life balance they need
- feel empowered to ask for flexibility in working hours
- confidently prepare them well for their transition to being a working parent.
If you feel that your organisation or an individual could benefit from maternity coaching, visit our webpage to find out more and get in touch to talk to one of our consultants.
